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In large Windows ecosystem, log data is distributed across multiple systems - from domain controllers and Exchange servers to IIS and DHCP hosts. Managing and centralizing these logs efficiently is crucial for security monitoring, compliance, and forensic analysis.
In environments where deploying collection agents or configuring direct log forwarding isn’t always feasible due to security policies, access restrictions, or performance considerations.
This is where QRadar’s SMB Tail Protocol becomes invaluable - providing a secure, agentless, and automated way to collect, parse, and normalize logs directly from network-shared directories over the SMB protocol.
By continuously monitoring shared folders for new or updated log files, SMB Tail ensures QRadar maintains nearly real-time visibility into critical events.
SMB (Server Message Block) is a network file sharing protocol that allows systems to access files, printers, and serial ports over a network. It operates primarily over TCP/IP (port 445) and supports authenticated, session-based access to shared directories or resources.
Key SMB Features:
File and directory access: Read, write, and list shared files remotely.
Session management: Supports authenticated and encrypted sessions.
Opportunistic locking and caching: Improves performance for concurrent access.
Protocol versions: SMB v1, v2, and v3 — each adding efficiency, reliability, and security improvements.
SMB Version Overview:
SMB Version
Introduced
Key Features
Security Level
Recommended Use
SMB v1
1980s/1990s
Basic file/ Printer Sharing
Weak – Deprecated
Avoid, legacy only
SMB v2
2006 (Vista/Server 2008)
Improved performance, signing support
Moderate
Acceptable if v3 unsupported
SMB v3
2012 (Windows 8/Server 2012)
Encryption, multichannel, persistent handles
Strong
Preferred and recommended
The SMB Tail Protocol in QRadar enables the platform to monitor and analyse Server Message Block (SMB)-based network traffic, which is widely used by Windows and other operating systems for file sharing and resource access.
In QRadar, SMB Tail Protocol provides a mechanism to read log data directly from files stored on shared network. It’s analogous to continuously reading & detecting new lines added to a file and forwarding them in near real-time to QRadar. These logs depending on the originating system can include information such as user login activity, file access attempts, other operational and security events etc. Once ingested, QRadar parses and correlates these events to help analysts detect security anomalies
Instead of pushing logs (like Syslog) or running agents, SMB Tail pulls logs from shared directories at configurable intervals, providing agentless visibility across distributed environments.
This continuous monitoring allows QRadar to maintain visibility into Windows-based network behaviours — an essential part of threat detection and forensic investigations.
The SMB Tail Protocol follows a structured process to establish secure connections, read log data, and deliver events for parsing:
QRadar supports several Protocols that internally rely on the SMB Tail Protocol to access remote log files:
Windows EventRPC Protocol
Retrieves events from files exported from Windows Event Viewer.
Covers system, security, and application logs.
Useful when WMI or WinCollect access is not possible (e.g., DMZ or isolated subnets).
Microsoft Exchange Protocol
Reads message tracking logs and audit logs generated by Exchange servers.
Helps security teams detect anomalies such as unexpected mailbox access, failed deliveries, or large outbound mail patterns.
Windows DHCP Protocol
Accesses DHCP log files (DhcpSrvLog-*.log) to monitor lease allocations, IP renewals, and MAC-IP bindings.
Critical for incident correlation - mapping IP addresses to endpoints during investigations.
Microsoft IIS Protocol
Monitors IIS web access and error logs for traffic patterns, failed logins, or exploit attempts.
Enables detection of brute-force or SQL injection attacks on hosted applications.
Oracle Database Listener Protocol
Reads listener.log files for database connection attempts and errors.
Identifies unauthorized login attempts or configuration changes.
Each of these Protocols leverages SMB Tail as a file transport layer, allowing consistent and secure access to shared log files across Windows or mixed environments.
Agentless Collection
When deploying agents is restricted due to policy or system limitations, SMB Tail offers a clean, agentless collection alternative.
Centralized Log Repositories
Many organizations aggregate application logs from multiple servers into a central Windows share. SMB Tail can monitor this location directly, reducing configuration complexity.
Historical Log Import
Analysts can mount archived log shares temporarily to QRadar and reprocess historical log data for incident reconstruction or audit analysis.
Forensic Investigations
By replaying log files over SMB, security teams can reconstruct event timelines for post-incident analysis.
QRadar SMB Tail Protocol Configuration: https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/dsm?topic=options-smb-tail-protocol-configuration
Microsoft IIS: https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/dsm?topic=options-microsoft-iis-protocol-configuration
Microsoft Exchange: https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/dsm?topic=options-microsoft-exchange-protocol-configuration
Microsoft DHCP: https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/dsm?topic=options-microsoft-dhcp-protocol-configuration
Microsoft Event RPC: https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/dsm?topic=options-microsoft-security-event-log-over-msrpc-protocol
Oracle Database Listener: https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/dsm?topic=options-oracle-database-listener-protocol-configuration
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